Safety officers protesting on the Seattle Artwork Museum in February 2024 (all images courtesy SAM VSO Union)
Not too long ago, I’ve entered my eleventh yr as a gallery guard on the Seattle Artwork Museum (SAM). Since 2022, I’ve additionally been a member of the SAM Customer Service Officers (VSO) Union, the place now we have been working to prepare gallery guards to attain higher wages, restoration of our retirement advantages, and larger employee protections on the museum. In latest weeks, after 27 months of contract delays by SAM, negotiations have reached a breaking level, and staff have had no selection however to take drastic measures.
Our union is impartial, which suggests we’re worker-run and arranged, however this was not by selection. The Nationwide Labor Relations Board, even below the Biden administration, failed to guard our proper to affiliate with a nationwide union. The museum’s Board of Trustees took benefit of a authorized loophole round “security workers” within the Nationwide Labor Relations Act to cease our affiliation with Worldwide Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) Native 116 in 2022. This transfer disadvantaged us of the funds, authorized help, and infrastructure that partnering with a big union offers.
On the optimistic aspect, this additionally extra rapidly uncovered that the Board’s pursuits and incentives run counter to the wants of SAM workers.
Josh Davis talking at a union rally on the Seattle Artwork Museum on November 19, 2004
We all know that the SAM Board includes a few of the wealthiest folks in Seattle, and that they derive advantages from being on the Board. For instance, Board members revenue financially from their affiliation with museums in quite a few methods, one in all which is growing the worth of their private artwork collections. A number of additionally leverage their so-called “philanthropy” at our arts establishments to launder their company reputations and ties to environmentally damaging industries. This status of benevolence is then typically exploited for political energy. Moreover, donors have an enormous quantity of management over how their funds are used, that means that in lots of circumstances, private tasks could be pursued by way of the museum’s nonprofit construction.
Museums provide a few of the finest “bang for your buck” in advantages, so far as philanthropy goes. Nonetheless, the scenario is altering with the expansion of the museum union motion, which has responded to revenue inequality and the housing disaster nationwide.
Previously, many donors may earmark donations completely for private museum tasks, and employee compensation stayed out of their sight. However as a result of situations within the US have worsened for working folks, museum workers now not do it as a “fun, part-time job,” however slightly for survival. This yr, the price of dwelling in Seattle has develop into unmanageably costly. It prices about $33 per hour to hire a one-bedroom residence in Seattle in 2024, in keeping with the Nationwide Low Earnings Housing Coalition.
SAM VSO Union banner saying a rally on November 19, 2024
This clarification would have carried extra weight if the museum had not introduced in January they might be pursuing additional enlargement.
SAM’s most up-to-date five-year strategic plan consists of plans to “develop” the gathering, exhibition packages, and gallery areas. Board Member Jon Shirley, a serious artwork collector and former president, CEO, and director of the tech big Microsoft, mentioned in a 2018 interview that showcasing his Alexander Calder assortment “takes a lot of room,” and prompt “taking down the floors above it” to create extra house “because we own those floors.” Shirley additionally led the event of the Olympic Sculpture Park (OSP) in 2007, one in all SAM’s most bold expansions which additionally grew to become the town’s largest greenspace.
However as SAM’s operations expanded to incorporate OSP throughout this similar interval, the establishment dealt its staff a blow they’ve but to get better from. Round 2006, the museum Board terminated the pension program for SAM’s frontline staff. Shirley, who was Board president on the time, allotted his donations towards his ardour: creating an area to show his Calder assortment. And the employees suffered vastly for it. In prior years, we had earned a pension profit that allowed staff to retire with dignity, as a substitute of being pressured to work previous retirement age. Sadly, the Board continues to chip away at our present, inadequate retirement advantages.
After 27 months of contract delays by SAM, negotiations have reached a breaking level.
Within the bargaining room, SAM continues to say that with additional expansions and upgrades, the museum might sometime develop into extra worthwhile; and if it does, safety guards ought to belief that these future advantages shall be handed on to its staff.
However as a substitute of ready for these advantages to trickle down, our union licensed a strike vote final month, with 96% of votes in favor. We plan to go on strike starting this Friday, November 29, until SAM’s Board of Trustees adjustments course and presents a contract that permits its staff to outlive in Seattle. For 2 years, the Board has refused outright to satisfy with us, so now we take the argument on to them.
On November 19, we held a rally at our museum through the VIP preview of Shirley’s second Calder present this yr. We despatched our message to the Board loud and clear: Artwork establishments must cease appearing “symbolically,” and begin supporting their workers for actual.
